Railroad-crossing signal gate



Mn, 23, W23,

L. L. LAWLESS, RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL GATE.

FILED SEPT. 3. 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET l wwwbf tame/M104;

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L L LAWLESS RAI LROAD CROSS-INC; SIGNAL GATE.

FILED SEPT. 3. 1921 4 Patented darn Eli, ilhiiv'zifl LOU L. LAWLESS, OFTOMAHAWK, WISCONSIN.

. EAILBOAJWCROSSING SIGNAL GATE.

Application filed September 3; 1921. Serial no. 498,205.

To all whom it may concern: i y

Be it known that I, LOU L; LAivLnss, a citizen of the United Statesresiding at Tomahawk in the county at Lincoln and State orwisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad- CrossingSig'nal Gates, of which the fol lowing is specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

It is the purpose o f the present invention or semaphore arm may beoperated, so as to lowera gate signal on one side of the road Where itcan be seen by a chauii'eur of an a'ut'omobll'e Still another purpose isthe proyision of a trip for actuating the gate signai when the trai'nkisgoing in one direction, and when the train is travellingiu the oppositedirection th ment with the Wheels.

as m n i Vhile the design and construct'imi at prescnt illustrated andset forth are deemed preferable, it isobvious that as a result of areduction ofthe invention to a more practiear form for commercialpurposes, the invention may be susceptible of changes, and the night tothese changes is claii'ued provided they are comprehended Within thescope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination ofparts as sinbehereina ter set for-tin shown in the drawings and 11 1 the drawings? yFigure 1 is a plan View of the improved signal an? rossing gateconstructed in accordance nth the invention and showing the same appliedto a railroad track; Figure 2 is a View in side elevation of the saihe,showingthe pneumatic cylinders in a -matin wheels;

section the signal gate lowered;

F1gure 8 is an enlarged plan VlCW of the trlpito be operated by the carof Figure 3; y

will move from one side by engage Figure 4; is a View in side elevationof the trip shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 isa sectional View online 5-5 Figure Gisa section-a vieiiv ofthe release Valve 47 and p Figure 7 is a diagrammatic plan View of thecrossing signal gate as applied to the Side of a track, Where a singletrack may be used, showing an actuating devlce for the signal gate in aposition on either side of the crossing, approaching the same fromeither direction. Referring to the drawings; 1 designatesa track, and 2the ties thereof, and 3 and 4 are uprights, which are mounted uponcertain of the ties of the track. y

Secured to the upright 3 by means of suitable supports 5 is apneumaticcylinder or pump 6, which includes a suitable piston 7 thereinprovided with a leather Washer 8, for Wiping against the Walls of thecylinder. The piston 7 is carried by a piston rod 9 which operatesthrough oneend of the cylinder 6. It is obvious that the cylinder 6 maybe disposed so that it may operate in an upright or horizontal position.

Mounted in suitable bearings 10 01. one of the ties is a crank shaft 11,one arm 12 of \vi aich is plVUtttllV connected by means of a pin 13,which engages throilgzh a slotin the end. o'l the bolt, and disposedbetween the plate 17 and. the trip is heavy ooilspring l9.flfheseplatesl? and 18 have interengag ing arcuate facesEOQ there beinga nut 5T1 threaded upon the belt, for increasing or decreasing thetension of the spring. One end of thetrip has an elongated.- openin orslot 22, through which a bolt 23 engages, 'llhis bolt also engagesthrough one of the rail and tlueaded to one end of the bolt is a nutseat n -(1 t a shoulder 25, wheretl'ie reduced end of the bolt connectswith the body of the bolt. By means otthis bolt the trip is limited inits movement. The trip at one end. beveled of? at 26, and has its upperface lined downwardly toward the hall of the rail, so that'atrainalpproaching ni the direction at the airrotir a, will cause the thearrow Z), the tread of the wheels will .rivesat the crossing.

ride against the inclined surface 27 and move the trip late ally therebynot affecting the crank shaft- However when the train is moving in thedirection of the arrow at, the tread. of the wheels will ride upon thetrip and thereby rock the crank shaft 11, causing the piston 7 to movein its cylinder against the action of the spring 29,.there .fore forcingair througl'i. the pipe iO into the pneumatic cylinder Mounted in thecylinder 31 is. a piston 32 which comprises a body 33, a follower plate3 and the usual leather 35, there being an expanding spring 36 for theleather, to prevent the escape of air under pressure into the spaceabove the piston. The cylinder -31 is mounted upon the support l, whichrises from one of the ties of the track, and carried by the piston is apiston rod 38. A linkilt) is connected to the rod 38, and in turn to arocking gate or semaphore arm 40 as at 41. The arm or lever 4:0 ispivotally mounted at 12 on the support l. The shorter end of the gatearm carries a weight 43, while a suitable signal M is pivotally mountedat 4-5 on the longer end of the gate arm. This signal when lowered isdesignto be in a position so as to be readily seen or observed by thedriver or chauffeur of a vehicle, when approaching the railroadcrossing, when the apparatus has been 0perated by a tram for loweringthe signal. The pipe 30 18 provided with a conventional form of checkvalve tb, to prevent. the presole from reaching and attempting to crossthe traclrbefore or at thetime the train ar- The pipe 30 is providedwith. a suitahlerelease. valve 47. there being an actuating arm 47connected-to the stem of the release valve.

so as to be engagedby the car wheels. for the purpose of releasing theair and allowing the piston 32 torestore to its normal position, andraise the signal to its initial position, just immediately before or atthe time The semaphore arm has a contact 48 to engage a contact 49. Thecontacts 48 and t9 are in circuit with a suitable bell 50, a lamp 5].and battery 52, by virtue of the wires 53, so that when the semaphorearm is tilted to lower the signal the bell will be actuated,

and the lamp lighted so as to notify the chauil'eur or driver of anapproaching vehicle when a train is approaching the crossing. The lamp51 may be located any suitable place. preferably on the gate arm 40.While the signal 4 f is of the form shown in the drawings, it is obviousthat any form of signal may be employed. Vi hile compressed air is usedfor actuating the pistons in the cylinder 31., it is obvious that vacuummay be. employed for perforn'iing the same function. In this case, thearrangement of parts may be changed.

The signal 44- is provided with a suitable mirror a l, upon which thelight rays from the headlight of an automobile may be refiected fromeither side of the crossing.

It will be noted that Figure 7 discloses a diagrammatic arrangement ofthe pneumatic actuating means, so that the crossing signal gate may beactuated when a train is approaching the crossing from either direction.For this reason it is necessary that the trip be constructed in orderthat it may be deflected. from the side of the rail, after a train haspassed the crossing going in either direction. For instance when a trainis approaching the crossin in the lire .-ti u'i of the arrow 0 in ligure t. the trip is actuated thereby causing the piston in thepneumatic vlinder 6 to force air through the pipe 330. so as to actuatethe piston in the cylinder 31. and when the train reaches the arm orlever 47. the flanges of the car wheel will engage with the arm 4-7 andopen the release valve 4-7. lVhen the train reaches the trip '15 on theother side of the crossing, the trip will be deflected from the side ofthe rail, thareby preventing the piston of the cylinder on the oppositeside of the crossing from being actuated. in view of the track in.Figure 7 being -zingle, a train passing in the opposite direction \x'illlikewise operate the si 'nal gate.

The ention havin been set birth. What.

laimed being 11. .iul is:

l. The conibin 'on with a railroad C1.(l inc". of a signal armprnridci'l with a signal to assume afposition at the crossing. wlurohyit may be observed by the driver of the vohicle when the arm is tilted,a crank shal't. arranged adjacent the side of the railroad track, :1 carwheel actuated trip for engaging with one arm of the crank shaft [orrocking the same. said trip having a raised portion at a point betweenits ends protruding above the surface of the rail, the upper surface ofthe trip being beveled in opposite directions from the raised portiontoward Ell) the opposite ends of the trip, whereby the car wheels maydepress one end of the trip, yieldable means for holding the tripadjacent the side of the ad, the inner portion of the trip adjacent therail. having an elongated cut away portion ofright angle in crosssection, one wall of said cut away portion being inclinedtoward therail, whereby the car wheels may engage therewith and cause movement ofthe trip away from the side of the rail without depressing the same, andmeans operatively connecting the crank shaft and the arm for tilting thesame to lower the signal.

2. The combination with a railroad cross ing, of a signal arm providedwith a signal toassume a lowered position at the crossing when the armis tilted, a pivot projecting lat'erally from the side of the rail, atriploosely mounted on the pivot adjacent the side of the rail, means onthe pivot to bear against the trip and hold it flat against the side ofthe rail, a guide on the side of the rail upon which the trip is looselyguided, a member to be actuated by the trip when actuated by the carwheels, and being operatively connected with the arm for tilting it andlowering the signal at the crossinggthe inner side portion of the triphaving a bevel inclined toward the side of the rail against which thecar wheels cam, to force the trip outwardly against the action of themeans on the pivot when the car wheels are travelling;- in onedirection.

3. The combination with a railroad crossing, of a signal arm providedwith a signal to assume a lowered position at the crossing when the armis tilted, a lateral pivot carried by the side of the rail, a triploosely mounted upon the pivot and lying; adjacent the side of the rail,yieldable means on the pivot bearing against and holding the trip inposition, means at one end of the trip for loosely guiding the trip whendepressed, said trip being raised above the surface of the rail wherebythe car wheels may depress the same when moving in one direction,.lneans actuated by the trip when depressed and being}? operativelyconnected with the arm for tilting the same and lowering" the signal atthe crossing,

41, The combination with railroad crossto assume lowered position at thearea when the arm tilted, a lateral pivot car ried by the side of the atrip loosely mounted u 30;] the iiivot and lvin adfacent the signal armprovided with a si all,

said trip being raised above the surface of the rail whereby the carwheels may depress the same when moving in one direction, means actuatedby the trip when depressed and being operatively connected with the armfor tilting the same and lowering the signal at the crossing, said triphaving means to be engaged by the car wheels when moving in the oppositedirection to force the trip laterally against its holding means. i i

5. lhe combination with a railroad crossing, of a signal arm providedwith a signal to assume a lowered position at the crossing when the armis tilted, a lateral pivot carried by the side of the rail, a triploosely mounted upon the pivot and lying adjacent theside of the rail,yieldable means on the pivot bearing against andholding the trip inposition. means at one end of the trip for loosely guiding the trip whendepressed, said trip being raised above the surface of the rail wherebythe car wheels may depress the same when moving in one direction, meansactuated by the trip when depressed and being pneumatically connectedwith the arm. for tilting the same and lowering the signal at thecrossing, said trip having means to be engaged by the car wheels whenmoving; in the opposite direction to force trip laterally against itsholding means, and means actuated. by the car wheels for releasing thepressure of the pneumatic means, to permit the arm to restore to, itsinitial position and raise the signal.

(3. As an article of manufacture, a track trip for actuating a signalarm, comprising; a crank shaft arranged adjacent the side of a railroadtrack and )rovide :l with a crank arm, a car wheel actuated trip forengaging said arm for rocking; the shaft, raid trip having a recessedportion at a pointbetween its ends protruding above the surface of therail, the upper surface of the trip being beveled in the oppositedirections from the raised portion toward the opposite ends of the trip,whereby the car wheels may depress one end of the trip, yieldable meansfor holding the trip adjacent the side of the rail, the innerportion ofthe trip adjacent the .rail having rabbet, the perpendicular wall of theabbet being inclined toward the side of the ball of the rail, wherebythe car wheels ma engage therewith and cause movement of the trip awayfrom the side o l therail withoiuv depressinn the same, and meansconnecting; the crault shaft and the sin'nal arm,

in testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my si gmaturc.

LOU L. LAW LESS.

